Vision for Sunshine Coast Stadium upgrade revealed

Following a comprehensive six‑month selection process, Architectus has been chosen as Principal Architect for the Sunshine Coast Stadium upgrade project, bringing with them a deep connection to the region and a track record of award‑winning design.  

Best known locally for the Sunshine Coast University Hospital, Architectus has long embraced the Coast’s subtropical lifestyle - open spaces, natural ventilation, and a seamless flow between indoors and outdoors. 

Their design vision for the stadium builds on this legacy, drawing inspiration from the region’s organic forms. A curved floating roofline echos the ripples of sand and rolling waves, while open concourses and shaded outdoor rooms reflect the relaxed rhythm of coastal living.  

Architectus Principal Dr Stephen Long said their design vision was to cement the Sunshine Coast’s identity on the world stage.

“We’ve conceived delicate, floating roof forms inspired by the Glass House mountains, the meandering Mooloolah River and the gentle shoreline curves of Bokarina Beach. Breezy undercroft spaces recall the forest experiences of the coast and hinterland,” Dr Long said. 

“We’re excited to be designing a stadium that feels like a revelation - expressing a modern, outdoor-loving culture set in a landscape that’s both cinematic and authentic, capturing the future of how people want to live, gather, recreate and celebrate,” Architectus Group Director Communities, Mark van den Enden said. 

Community legacy 

The upgrades include a tenfold increase in grandstand capacity from 1,046 to more than 10,000 seats with new eastern and western grandstands, new community and event spaces, and improved player amenities and accessibility 

Elevated seating bowls will bring fans closer to the action, enhance acoustics and create a more immersive game‑day atmosphere - an experience shaped as much by the Coast’s natural beauty as by architectural precision.  

To deliver a venue ready for both community sport and global audiences, Architectus will collaborate with international sports architecture specialists HKS, the team behind some of the world’s most recognisable stadiums including SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and AT&T Stadium in Dallas. Together, they will create a stadium capable of hosting 20,000 spectators during the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games football preliminaries and quarter finals, showcasing the Sunshine Coast to millions around the world. 

Sunshine Coast Council will contribute $17 million towards the Sunshine Coast Stadium upgrade project.